Border shutdown reshapes Cambodia’s agricultural trade flows in 2025

Cambodia’s agricultural trade patterns changed sharply in 2025 after the closure of the Cambodia–Thailand border in July, forcing exporters to redirect shipments of several crops toward Vietnam, according to a report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

With trade routes to Thailand disrupted, Vietnamese buyers quickly became an important alternative market for Cambodian products. Exports of corn to Vietnam reached about 38,500 metric tons in 2025, compared with almost no shipments the previous year. At the same time, corn exports to Thailand dropped sharply to around 67,200 metric tons, a decline of roughly 70 percent.

Vietnamese import statistics suggest the real flow may be even higher, with imports from Cambodia estimated at around 122,000 metric tons.

Cashew exports

Raw cashew nuts remained Cambodia’s largest agricultural export to Vietnam. Shipments increased 18 percent year-on-year to around 969,000 metric tons in 2025, reflecting Vietnam’s strong processing industry and its role as a regional trading hub.

Regional trade routes adapting

The report highlights how quickly agricultural trade routes can change when logistics or border access is disrupted, with Vietnam becoming a key outlet for Cambodian crop exports.

Read the full report here.

graphics: mef.gov.kh, fas.usda.gov